Making a complaint about a doctor - Medical Council

Making a complaint about a doctor

A guide for patients

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Plain .. English

Approved by NALA

Contents

About this booklet

2

What is the Medical Council?

2

What if I am not satisfied with a doctor?

2

Who can complain?

3

What types of complaints does the Medical Council look into?

3

How can I make a complaint?

4

What happens after I make my complaint?

4-5

What is mediation?

6

How long does a complaint take?

6

What happens at the inquiry?

7

When do I have to make a statement and give evidence?

8

What powers does the Medical Council have?

8

What can the Medical Council not do?

9

Is my information confidential?

9

Glossary

10

Other organisations that regulate healthcare staff

11

Complaints about healthcare services

12

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About this booklet

This booklet tells you what to do if you want to make a complaint about a doctor. Under the Medical Practitioners Act, 2007 (`the Act'), the Medical Council is responsible "for protecting the public by promoting and better ensuring high standards of professional conduct and professional education, training and competence among doctors".

If you are not satisfied with your doctor, or if you have concerns about the behaviour, conduct, practice or health of a doctor, you can contact the Medical Council.

What is the Medical Council?

The Medical Council is the legal registration authority for doctors in Ireland. If a doctor wants to practise medicine in this country, he or she must be registered with the Medical Council.

If you want to check whether your doctor is registered or not, you can do this on the Medical Council's website:

medicalcouncil.ie/registration/check.asp

The Medical Council's Preliminary Proceedings Committee (PPC) is responsible for looking at complaints against doctors.

What if I am not satisfied with a doctor?

If you are worried about the behaviour, conduct, practice or health of a doctor, or if you are not satisfied with the treatment that you received from them, you may want to make a complaint to the Medical Council.

The complaints process is designed to look into the information that you and the doctor give us. We then decide whether we need to take any further action in relation to the doctor's registration.

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Who can complain?

Anyone can make a complaint to the Medical Council about a doctor. This includes members of the public, employers and other healthcare staff. The Medical Council itself may also make a complaint about a doctor to the PPC.

If you are making a complaint for another person, such as your husband or wife, partner, brother or sister, that person may need to consent to your making the complaint for them, as the complaint may include confidential medical information.

What types of complaints does the Medical Council look into?

The Medical Council's Preliminary Proceedings Committee (PPC) looks into complaints that are made about a doctor (or doctors) for one or more of following reasons: Professional misconduct Poor professional performance

(this can only be considered for events which took place on or after 3 July 2008) Relevant medical disability Failure to comply with one or more condition(s) attached to the doctor's registration Failure to comply with an undertaking given to the Medical Council or to take any

action specified in a consent given in the context of a previous inquiry Contravention (infringement) of the Medical Practitioners Act 2007 Being convicted in the State for an offence triable on indictment (or, if convicted

outside the State, for an offence that would be triable on indictment in Irish courts)

Offences that are triable on indictment are usually serious offences, for example sexual assault or fraud, and are tried before a judge and jury in court. As there can be a number of exceptions, we advise you to get advice for your particular complaint if you are making it for this reason.

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